Back to EveryPatent.com
United States Patent | 6,110,166 |
Juhasz | August 29, 2000 |
A method for corneal laser surgery includes directing the focal point of a focused laser beam at a start point in the stroma. The focal point is then moved along a predetermined path in the cornea to photodisrupt tissue and to create a flap or a plug of corneal tissue. Specifically, the flap or plug is crated with an undercut region that interlocks with an overlap region to restrain movement of the flap or plug in an anterior direction. Stromal tissue under the flap or plug can then be removed when the plug or flap is forceably lifted from the cornea. The flap or plug is subsequently replaced in its interlocking relationship with the remainder of the corneal tissue. The diminished stromal tissue reshapes the cornea in a manner which improves the vision of the patient.
Inventors: | Juhasz; Tibor (Irvine, CA) |
Assignee: | Escalon Medical Corporation (Skillman, NJ) |
Appl. No.: | 725070 |
Filed: | October 2, 1996 |
Current U.S. Class: | 606/5; 128/898; 606/3; 606/10; 606/13 |
Intern'l Class: | A61N 005/02 |
Field of Search: | 623/5 606/4-6,10-17 128/898 |
3769963 | Nov., 1973 | Goldman. | |
4309998 | Jan., 1982 | Aron nee Rosa. | |
4391275 | Jul., 1983 | Frankhauser. | |
4538608 | Sep., 1985 | L'Esperance, Jr. | |
4580559 | Apr., 1986 | L'Esperance. | |
4601288 | Jul., 1986 | Myers. | |
4633866 | Jan., 1987 | Peyman. | |
4655913 | Apr., 1987 | L'Esperance, Jr. | |
4669466 | Jun., 1987 | L'Esperance. | |
4718418 | Jan., 1988 | L'Esperance, Jr. | |
4721379 | Jan., 1988 | L'Esperance. | |
4732148 | Mar., 1988 | L'Esperance. | |
4770172 | Sep., 1988 | L'Esperance. | |
4773414 | Sep., 1988 | L'Esperance, Jr. | |
4842599 | Jun., 1989 | Bronstein | 623/5. |
4907586 | Mar., 1990 | Bille et al. | 606/5. |
4941093 | Jul., 1990 | Marshali. | |
4988348 | Jan., 1991 | Bille. |
Tadeusz Krawawicz, Lamellar Corneal Stromectomy, pp. 828-833. John Marshall et al., Photoablative reprofiling of the cornea using an Excimer Laser; Photorefractive Keratectomy, Lasers in Ophtalmology, vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 21-48, 1986. |